The citric acid one really gets me. I just bought some organic tomato paste yesterday and it contained "citric acid", in other words CORN. And I'll bet it was GMO corn, too, even though the product as a whole was labeled "organic"...come to think of it, I think the citric acid said "(naturally-derived)" after it...but NOT "non-GMO".

I often wonder if the corn lectin itself is in citric acid and ditto for ascorbic acid (vitamin C, derived from CORN *sigh*). I really wonder about those two.

Anyway: corn is in everything. To quote the Frugal Gourmet from a long-ago comment he made about pre-shredded cheese, which I thought was so hilarious (it was in his delivery!) and apt: "It's an evil plot to destroy our culture!" Same thing applies to sticking corn into everything.

Actually, it is an evil plot to use up an over-abundance of a cheap, addictive ingredient, that's what it is...but anyhooo...

"If you are on one of Dr. D's diets and it isn't joyful, you aren't doing it right."- moi

The sweetness of Honey is due mostly to an Equimolar blend of Fructose and Glucose.Besides the extra 10% of other ingredients, when kept to around 18% Water, is the common Honey of North America.

So by be evacuting the extra water from Golden Syrup {Invert Sugar Syrup} - You essentially have "Honey". In other words Table Sugar {Sucrose} breaks down into Glucose and Fructose with heat and Acid {Citric, Tartaric, etc.}, and since it now contians 2 separate sugar molecules from a single Sucrose it is TWICE as sweet - good for commerce.

Honey in the US is allowed to have Water and "Sweeteners" as ingredients. So never trust Blended Honey or common Honey on the Shelf, or who knows Creamed Honey, as who know how much actual Honey is really in it.

Herr Schlüggell -- Establish a Garden; Cultivate Community. "To see things in the seed, that is genius. He who obtains has little. He who scatters has much. The way to do is to be." -Lao TzuBruno Manser, Ned Lud, August Sabbe, Richard St. Barbe-Baker, Eddie Koiki Mabo, Masanobu Fukuoka

The sweetness of Honey is due mostly to an Equimolar blend of Fructose and Glucose.Besides the extra 10% of other ingredients, when kept to around 18% Water, is the common Honey of North America.

So by be evacuting the extra water from Golden Syrup {Invert Sugar Syrup} - You essentially have "Honey". In other words Table Sugar {Sucrose} breaks down into Glucose and Fructose with heat and Acid {Citric, Tartaric, etc.}, and since it now contians 2 separate sugar molecules from a single Sucrose it is TWICE as sweet - good for commerce.

Honey in the US is allowed to have Water and "Sweeteners" as ingredients. So never trust Blended Honey or common Honey on the Shelf, or who knows Creamed Honey, as who know how much actual Honey is really in it.

I'm so glad to not have a life-threatening corn allergy...some do and it's really tough.

For me it's something to do with the fermentation reaction, as not all corn derivatives bother me, but other things that get fermented into the same end-product do not bother me (soy-derived citric acid for instance), pretty strange stuff.

If you buy your honey at the health food store and scrutinize the label, it almost definitely will NOT contain corn syrup. I never heard of companies adding corn syrup to honey, but then, nothing that the food industry does surprises me. However, if you buy a good brand of honey and the label says pure honey, it is pure honey. The only kind that would have corn syrup added would be the most mainstream brands of highly processed honey and, in those cases, I'll bet that nowhere on the label does it say "pure honey" or "100% honey". Look for a brand that does say that. End of problema. Because real honey, of course, does not contain corn.

Coming soon to a theater near you, the most horrifying horrific horrible horror movie EVER: "CORN: it's in you!", rated V for extreme violence. View at your own discretion.

"If you are on one of Dr. D's diets and it isn't joyful, you aren't doing it right."- moi

So I guess this means, if a vitamin supplement doesn't say NO corn in it with the other allergy information, it probably has corn.

Looked at my power dophillus by Country life today, and it doesn't say NO corn. I then looked and it has Cellulose in it, which was on the corn list... So I'm thinking it has it, which I'm allergic to... so that's just great.

I actually posted this site myself a while back. There is book on corn allergy and how to survive and its list is more extensive. I am currently going throught the same thing for chemical allergies with shots. It looks as though I may ahve to go to the CDC to verify what immunizations are safe and not safe for some one like me.

'And some of us would die-so other men can stand up on their feet like men. A great many are going to die for that. They have in the past. They will a hundred years from now-two hundred. God grant there will always be men good enough.(James Otis)' Johnny Tremain (Forbes)

Even some products that claim corn-free will have citric acid or xanthan gum in them, if you call and grill them on it you'll usually find out that yes, that was fed on corn or derived from corn. The common thinking is that those ingredients are so far removed from corn that most corn-allergic people can tolerate them, not so in many cases. "Natural flavors" gets me most of the time too...good thing I have a juicer.

Angel- any luck with making your own body care items? I think my skin is pretty sensitive to corn, and I'm always looking for new shampoos. I tried a recipe with castille soap in it, and the recipe called for almond oil added, not realizing I'd bought a castille soap that already had hemp and jojoba oil in it, I kind of got too much oil for my hair type. It felt good on my scalp, but just didn't work. I suppose I'll try it again without adding the oil. I've seen some pretty pure looking shampoo bars at some of the stores in Amazon, maybe I'll try one of those.

This is not necessarily true. The only way to be sure from what source the citric acid is derived, is to call the company and inquire. Been there, done that, as have most of us.

True, citric acid is not necessarily corn-derived. In fact, I would argue that a corn product should not be legally allowed to be called "citric acid". But I was not a part of the food industry brain trust that decided they can get away with calling a corn product "citric acid". The fact is, when you see "citric acid" on a food label, it is virtually always corn derived.

True citric acid is from citrus. The citric acid from natural citrus is absolutely fine to eat (provided the specific citrus fruit is on your beneficial or neutral list). However, the "citric acid" a BTDer (and anyone else, for that matter) sees on a label in the store is virtually always from corn, as I said. Therefore, unless you actually contact the manufacturer and get an assurance that the citric acid is from another source, you are best off avoiding products containing "citric acid".

That said, it is often one of the last, if not the last, ingredient listed, so if you see it on an otherwise fab product, particularly an organic one, it probably won't fell you on the spot to consume it. It is just that, as a rule of thumb, citric acid on a label is best avoided by anyone trying to avoid corn--unless you get a specific assurance that the citric acid in that product is not from corn. It virtually always is from corn.

"If you are on one of Dr. D's diets and it isn't joyful, you aren't doing it right."- moi

True, citric acid is not necessarily corn-derived. In fact, I would argue that a corn product should not be legally allowed to be called "citric acid". The fact is, when you see "citric acid" on a food label, it is virtually always corn derived.True citric acid is from citrus. However, the "citric acid" a BTDer (and anyone else, for that matter) sees on a label in the store is virtually always from corn, as I said. Therefore, unless you actually contact the manufacturer and get an assurance that the citric acid is from another source, you are best off avoiding products containing "citric acid".

I absolutely agree that a corn product should not be legally allowed to be called "citric acid". It's deceitful but as I said , all citric acid is not derived from corn, so if one is interested in a product, it would be best to call and find out from what source it is derived instead of assuming it's from corn and dismissing the product all together. Case in point........I found a great protein supp but one of the ingred was citric acid. I was at seeing that but took the time to call and lo and behold it was derived from fruit. However, one has to even go one step further and find out from what fruit. In this case it is derived from oranges. Still a no-no unless somehow the process of the whole thing, makes it okay. Would love to know that it's okay, I would love to use it. Also the fructose in it is derived from oranges. Would anyone know about whether it would be ok because of the process.While it is advertised as a weight loss supp, I was interested because of the predigested collagen proteins. (hope I got that right) http://www.supplementstogo.com/amsc16ozbyhe.html

Oh, I agree! If you are really interested in a product and the citric acid is the only thing giving you pause, by all means, contact the manufacturer and ask what the citric acid is derived from. In fact, the more people do this, the more the companies just might sit up and take notice that people give a hoot and don't want corn-derived "citric" acid. I was just saying that, in most cases, the citric acid is indeed from corn, so if you are just going along the aisle shopping away, and you don't care too much about researching that particular product, you are better off assuming the "citric acid" is from corn than assuming "Well, it might not be", and choosing to bypass it. But if you want to take the time to research it, by all means, do, because Pat is quite right, sometimes citric acid is actually citric acid, as in, from citrus (or other fruit like tomato...which I almost wanted to assume with the organic tomato puree/sauce I was buying, so I told myself it was okay and did buy it *lol*...but I know there is a good chance it was that old devil, corn).

"If you are on one of Dr. D's diets and it isn't joyful, you aren't doing it right."- moi

As well, in regards to corn by-products, if any food item contains less than two percent of an ingredient, by law, the company or manufacturer is not required to list the ingredient on the food label.

alia

Oh, wow, I didn't realize it was as high as two percent. So something could contain 2% wheat starch and not list wheat? Terrific. Or maybe the two percent rule doesn't apply to allergens such as wheat? I mean, if something has ANY wheat or peanuts, for example, I would think they would have to say so, as they even have to say if a product was processed on machinery that also processes same.

Oh, the humanity...

I'm going onto "Survivor!" so that I can subsist on pineapple and bugs. I'll have to pass on the coconut...at least if Dr. D. is watching that episode I will...

"If you are on one of Dr. D's diets and it isn't joyful, you aren't doing it right."- moi

Good grief. I thought I was doing pretty well avoiding avoids till I read this.

My husband has found it true that some corn by-products get him and some do not. When we travel and he absolutely must have caffeine, he will get a coke and choke it down, and surprisingly neither the corn syrup nor the sugar affects him. Yet corn starch or corn meal knocks him to the ground almost literally. I have not found that corn bothers me in the least, but I avoid it because I should.

PTwist, you better get Dr. D to test all those bugs for you before you go on Survivor. Probably the nastiest, slimiest ones would be beneficial, knowing our luck.

ISTJ, BTD since 5/05.Â Â Battling chronic Lyme disease since ~1985.

"Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial..."Â Â I Corinthians 6:12

Is there something different you can request for an IV if needed? Thanks

I can't believe no one noticed your question........Yes, ask for JUST saline and have your charts reflect that in case of an emergency.

But just TRY to get in or out of a hospital without any medications that don't contain corn. It's about impossible. My Homeopath's husband had hernia surgery a couple years ago and she tried to work with the pharmacist to concoct an antibiotic he could have without corn (He is an O and VERY allergic to corn). They wouldn't let him leave the hospital without taking it. They mixed him up a liquid but it wasn't very pleasant.

That's scary. Intravenous corn. That's like giving my husband a shot of soy. Or giving my daughter a shot of eggs. Oh, wait. I forgot. If we'd had her vaccinated she'd have gotten a shot of egg. Or giving me a shot of peppers. I wonder how many people have died "from unknown causes" when it was actually an undetected corn allergy and having it injected straight into their bloodstream was too much for them.

ISTJ, BTD since 5/05.Â Â Battling chronic Lyme disease since ~1985.

"Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial..."Â Â I Corinthians 6:12

Hello, I'm new to this forum and I'm not sure I understand. Are you saying that everything on that list is derived from corn? How can brown sugar be from corn? And salt? And vanilla? Are you saying that the corn lectin is contained by all the things on the list?

I had the same question about honey, and the consensus was that often times the items on the list are cut with corn products to make them go farther. I'm of the opinion (I know I'm standing alone out here) that if you buy from a reputable company and the ingredients don't list corn, they are most likely okay. Just my $0.02.

â€śThose who say it canâ€™t be done need to get out of the way of those who are doing it.â€ť

Well, I have to add that I too find this very frustrating!! It already takes me forever to shop because of all the label reading. Guess I'll have to allow extra time and add in time for calls to manufacturers.

Thanks to those of you that talked about the IV's. Hope to not ever need that information, but I plan to file it away just in case.

Quoted from geminisue Is there something different you can request for an IV if needed? Thanks. [/quote

[quote=jillthepilllady]

I can't believe no one noticed your question........Yes, ask for JUST saline and have your charts reflect that in case of an emergency.

But just TRY to get in or out of a hospital without any medications that don't contain corn. It's about impossible. My Homeopath's husband had hernia surgery a couple years ago and she tried to work with the pharmacist to concoct an antibiotic he could have without corn (He is an O and VERY allergic to corn). They wouldn't let him leave the hospital without taking it. They mixed him up a liquid but it wasn't very pleasant.

jillthepilllady-didn't know any answer to this...glad you did and we all do now.

Debra

"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves." C.G. Jung"

I am amazed at your list debra+. Thats incredible there are that many different names for just corn. It is overwhelming for me to read labels with all the ingredients. An average person has no clue what they are. I am trying to buy more organic. That is helping. Thanks for the list debra+.

This whole corn thing is one area I would love for Dr. D'Adamo to look at.. do some testing and see more of which corn-based additives either agglutinate blood or are typically shown in certain blood types to elicit some negative reaction.

Quoted from Melissa_J

For me it's something to do with the fermentation reaction, as not all corn derivatives bother me, but other things that get fermented into the same end-product do not bother me (soy-derived citric acid for instance), pretty strange stuff.

Can you elaborate on that? I'm not sure whether you meant that corn-based things that get fermented into certain end-products are causing you allergic symptoms, or whether you meant something slightly different. Interested in what the mechanism may be, with regards to fermentation aspects causing issues. (As a slight tangent from that, I also wonder about a lot of the products made or enhanced using fungus reactions - say, from aspergillus. I think that's used a LOT, in food and in medicine/supplement science.)http://bugs.bio.usyd.edu.au/Mycology/UsesOf_Fungi/industrialProduction/foodProcessing.shtml

Henriette also brought up a good point about some items in Europe not being as corn-based as those in America. (I suspect similar's true of other areas outside the U.S.) For now, it might be worthwhile to even seek out product not made in the U.S., if you are limiting your exposure to hidden corn stuff.

Also, an entire book about America's corn culture and how it's in everything, that is a very good read: The Omnivore's Dilemma. (There's a whole chapter in PDF form floating around somewhere on the Web if anyone wants to go looking.)

Yes it is strange. I've looked a little bit into the fungus, and have been scratch tested for mold allergies (and corn allergy) with no result. It seems I react to some corn derivatives that don't have fungus involvement as well, like corn alcohol which would be yeast mediated.

The official (MD) point of view is that the derivatives should be less allergenic than the whole corn, but that doesn't seem to always be the case. I have run into a few corn allergic folks to react more strongly to the derivatives than the whole corn, one theory is that the pre-digested stuff goes more quickly into the bloodstream, whereas the whole corn may not even get digested and absorbed much due to intestinal reactions to it. The lectins and proteins shouldn't come through to all the end products, so I don't really know what it is I'm reacting to, my body is simply more complex than any science I know of

I also avoid MSG, since it's easy enough to avoid and usually is accompanied by other major avoids anyway. I believe it can also be corn derived, though I can't say I've ever tried it purposefully to see what my reaction is.

All glutamates are evil additives meant to cause addictions to the processed foods they are placed in, some of them don't even have to be declared on the label. I avoid tuna with "broth" as an ingredient mainly for this reason.